Brazil Carnival, feel the carnival

Samba Escolas in Rio Janero

Rio de Brazil Samba-Schools Directory

Samba-Schools are at the epicenter of the Carnaval culture in Brazil and much of the “samba world” revolves around them. Carnaval parades, broadcasted in Rio´s Sambadrome to more than 150 countries, are a product of a full year of intense work by these institutions. They enable the Carnival dream with great love, passion and dedication, so millions can be transported out of their daily routines, even if only for a few moments.

Samba-Schools ´s Carnival Producers say their mission is accomplished when those 82 magical minutes are transformed into pure ecstasy. We could definitely say that without the institution of the organized Samba-Schools, the Brazilian carnival would not exist at the format we see today. Following this rationale, BrazilCarnival.com.br will devote an entire directory to explain the origins, history, objectives, characteristics and organizational structures of the Samba Schools in Brazil.

Since the founding of the first Samba School called “Deixa Falar” in 1928, Samba Schools evolved tremendously in terms of structure and organization. Today, some schools like Mangueira,Unidos da Tijuca, and Beija-Flor clearly resemble modern companies with several departments, sub-divisions and strategic partnerships. Samba Schools in Rio have a devoted group of enthusiastic supporters, official headquarters, working facilities called Barracão – “big shed” and rehearsing facilities “Quadra”, where followers meet and prepare for the next Carnaval. Just like American corporations, São Paulo and Rio Samba Schools also have a formal management, logo & flag,constituted legal status and defined organizational structure. Most of them have also developed social entities to support low income communities where they are established.

Watch below a phenomenal video of a Carnival & Samba of the 2013 Império Serrano Carnival:

Below, we see a spectacular picture of the Baianas Section in Rio´s Carnival parade, where elderly women spin and whirl at Rio´s Sambadrome, creating a dramatic effective. As an interesting curiosity, until the forties and fifties, it was common to see men taking part of this parade wing, dressing themselves as “Baianas”. Only in the nineties the “Baianas” became a women-only wing.

Above we see an outdoor style photo of Rio´s Sambadrome, also known as Av. Marquês de Sapucaí. This is the Dionysian theater platform for Carnaval merry-makers, the chimerical carnival stage where all Rio samba-schools imaginary fables, plots and mysteries come true!

We hope you will find this reading enjoyable as we did in our researches!

Below you see Priscila Bonifácio, Brazilian Carnival Celebrity in full Costume: